HNK Hajduk Split Š.D.D., commonly referred to as Hajduk Split (pronounced [xǎjduːk splît])[1] or simply Hajduk, is a Croatianfootball club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Stadion Poljud and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and socks.

Between the early 1920s and 1940 Hajduk regularly participated in the Kingdom of Yugoslavianational championship. Following World War II and the formation of the Yugoslav league system in 1946 Hajduk went on to spend the entire SFR Yugoslavia period in top level. Their run continued following the breakup of Yugoslavia as the club joined the Croatian First League in its inaugural season in 1992. They are one of the most successful teams in Croatia and ex-Yugoslavia, having won nine Yugoslav and six Croatian league championships, in addition to nine Yugoslav and five Croatian cup titles.

The club was founded in the centuries-old pub U Fleků in Prague (then also part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), by a group of students from Split: Fabijan Kaliterna, Lucijan Stella, Ivan Šakić and Vjekoslav Ivanišević.[2] They went to the pub following a match between AC Sparta and SK Slavia and decided it was time their own town founded a professional club. They all knew how popular the sport was in Split (their home), and how well their friends there played.

The club was officially registered with the authorities on February 13, 1911.[3] While trying to come up with a name for the club, the students went to an old teacher Josip Barač for advice, and according to accounts he told them to take the name "Hajduk" which symbolized "that which is best in our people: bravery, humanity, friendship, love of freedom, defiance to powers, and protection of the weak. Be worthy of that great name."[4]

Hajduks were romanticized bandits that fought the rule of the Ottoman Turks. It is speculated that famed hajduk Andrija Šimić, who triumphantly arrived in Split in 1902 to cheering crowds (after a long stint in an Austrian prison), was perhaps the inspiration for the name.[4] The founders subsequently designed the club's emblem and a group of Catholic nuns from a monastery in Split created copies which were distributed to fans.[5]

Hajduk gathered the pro-Croat party of citizens of Split, Croat unionists or puntari. That is why the club specifically has the name "hrvatski nogometni klub" (Croatian football club) and has the Croatian coat-of-arms in its crest. The club itself was against the Austrian-Hungarian government's policy of not allowing the unification of the Croatian provinces and keeping them separated (the government and the emperor did not allow the reunion of Dalmatia with the rest of Croatia). Hajduk's first opponent were Calcio Spalato, the club of an autonomist party from in Split, and the match ended with a 9-0 (6-0) victory for Hajduk.[3][6] The first to score for Hajduk was Šime Raunig.

Before the match: Hajduk played Zrinjski Mostar on 13 August 1939, winning 3-2.

In 1912, Hajduk played their first match in Zagreb against the "HASK football club, and lost 3-2. The first international match against an eminent opponent was held in 1913 against the Czech squad Slavia Prague,[7] which at that time were one of the strongest squads in Europe. Hajduk ended up losing the game by 1-13 (0-13). After the formation of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, Hajduk first played in Yugoslav league in 1923, but they did not rank too well at the end of that season. In their first international match Hajduk defeated Olympique Marseille by 3-2. In 1933, eleven years after their first match, Hajduk defeated HASK 7-1.

Hajduk reached their first period of glory in the late twenties, when they won two Yugoslav championships (1927 and 1929), which earned them a slot in the Central European Cup.[8] Some of the best players in that period were Leo Lemešić and Vladimir Kragić. During the 6 January Dictatorship the adjective "Croatian" in "Croatian Football Club" was forcibly replaced by the adjective "Yugoslav" to the dismay of the team. Furthermore, the 1930s proved disastrous for Hajduk, as they won no tournaments or championships, and only had some success in foreign matches.[9] They did manage to win one title during the Banovina of Croatia era in 1940–41.[9]

In April 1941, during World War II, Yugoslavia was invaded, occupied, and carved-up by the Axis powers, with Split being annexed directly into Italy. Residents and players were both opposed to the assimilation to Italy, thus the club ceased to compete in defiance throughout the occupation of Split, declining an offer to join the Italian first division (under the name "AC Spalato").[10] After capitulation of Italy in 1943, the Partisans temporarily liberated Split and disarmed the Italian garrison, but the Germans re-occupied the city and granted it to the fascist puppet government of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) they had installed in Zagreb in 1941. The attitude of the club did not change when the NDH authorities attempted to include Hajduk in the Independent State of Croatia Cup; the NDH earned resentment in Split for allying and partitioning them to Italy. With the Allies occupying southern Italy and controlling the Mediterranean, the Adriatic islands became a haven for the resistance (prompting Hajduk's move there in 1944.)[10]

The club's players then joined the Partisan general headquarters on the island of Vis in the Adriatic sea. On 7 May 1944 on the Feast of Saint Duje, the patron saint of Split, Hajduk began playing again as the official football team of the Yugoslav resistance.[10] They competed with Allied service football teams from across the Adriatic in Italy, where they famously defeated the British in a friendly match.[11] At this time, the club leadership adopted the Partisans' red star as the badge on the white-and-blue club dress. During 1945, Hajduk embarked on a tourney through Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Malta.[12] In Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle gave Hajduk the title of honorary team of Free France.[10][11]

With its proficiency and its "unique Dalmatian spirit", the club reportedly impressed Tito, who frequently attended matches. After the war, he invited Hajduk to move to the Yugoslav capital Belgrade and become the official Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) team, but Hajduk refused, wanting to continue to play in their hometown of Split.[11] The club, however, continued to enjoy the reputation of "Tito's favorite" long after the war, and it was because of the friendly relationship with the resistance which benefited Hajduk in numerous ways. Among other things it was one of the few Yugoslav football clubs (and the only prominent one), not to be disbanded after the war by the communist government (as was the case with a number of other clubs, especially prominent ones such as BSK, Građanski, Jugoslavija, Concordia, HAŠK, and Slavija).[10][13]

Hajduk's red star logo from 1960-90. Previously the team used a simple red star.

After World War II, Hajduk continued to play in the Yugoslav championship and Cup. In 1946, they won Croatian championship and established the magazine "Journal of Hajduk". In 1948–49, Hajduk visited Australia and became the first team from Yugoslavia who played on all continents.[10] The club won the 1950 Yugoslav championship without a single loss,[11] where it set a record that no one had yet accomplished. On 28 October 1950, a day before the decisive match against Red Star (a 2–1 win), the official fan organization Torcida was founded,[14] It was created by engineering student Vjenceslav Žuvela, who chose the name after the enthusiastic Brazilian fans, and Torcida become the first organized group of supporters in Europe.[15] The following year, the "Stari Plac" stadium was reconstructed.

Consequent seasons showed Hajduk's supremacy, but also the political manipulations to prevent them winning the championships. For one, Torcida was viewed as a hostile club by the communist authorities, which posed a risk to the national consciousness of the new Yugoslavian state.[14] Hajduk's leadership was sanctioned, the team's captain expelled from the communist party, and Vjenceslav Žuvela was imprisoned.[14] Also, in the winter break of the 1952–53 season, Hajduk went on tour to South America; following an invitation from Juan Perón, they extended their stay there.[16] This caused them to come home late, but instead of a "delay of game" in the championship, they faced defeats against BSK and Spartak Subotica as their youth team played those games.[16] Although Hajduk later beat Red Star in Belgrade 4-1, Red Star became the champions. Next season saw a similar occurrence with players Vladimir Beara and Bernard Vukas arriving late for national team training and receiving a month-long ban from the game. Without these essential players Hajduk lost important matches, and Dinamo won the championship. All this prompted the club legend Frane Matošić to storm a meeting of the Yugoslav Football Association quipping, "Do you at least have a gram of integrity?".[16] On 3 April 1955 in Zagreb, Hajduk defeated Dinamo 6-0, which is the biggest win in the derby between the two largest Croatian clubs. In 1955, Hajduk won the championship, the Football Association of Yugoslavia sent Hajduk as the champions to the Mitropa Cup, while Partizan was chosen to participate in the inaugural European Cup.[16] The 1960s were some of the hardest times in Hajduk's history, including one occasion when they were nearly relegated to the second league after five-point deduction in the 1965–66 season due to Planinić affair. In that period they only managed to win a single trophy - the 1967 cup, which was also their first triumph in that competition.[17]

On 8 May 1991, Hajduk won the Yugoslav Cup final, defeating the former European Champions Red Star 1-0 with the only goal scored by Alen Bokšić. It was during this time that Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia. Hajduk was finally able to restore its traditional emblem with the Croatian chequy but without the red star.[20]

In the first four years of the HNL (the Croatian football league), Hajduk became far more successful than rivals from Zagreb, winning three league titles, as well reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. However, as the team was doing so well, the club was poorly managed financially, at that time it had a blocked account, which is still a huge burden. When the Croatian national team came third at the 1998 World Cup in France, amongst the starting 11, there were five former Hajduk players.

For the next five years Hajduk Split stood in the shadow of wealthier and politically privileged rivals from Zagreb, the Champions League was no longer within reach. From the Champions League to the year 2000, not a single trophy was won. After the failure of the domestic and international scene, fans began to seek the dismissal of administration officials, and circulated the story about the possible privatization of the club, which at that time did not happen. While Croatia Zagreb (today Dinamo) won titles, Hajduk had problems with the registration of players for the League. Dissatisfaction amongst the fans grew so much that some broke into the club premises, causing a change in leadership and promises of new beginnings. 2001 saw Croatia Zagreb fall and Hajduk become champions once more. Unfortunately, financial conditions in the club were dire, the club was often on the precipice of bankruptcy and collapse.

Before the 2003–04 season, Igor Štimac became the sports director; he promised Hajduk would go to the Cup and Champions League, he also sold a few important players and bought lesser ones, arguing the club needed to build itself up. In 2005 Hajduk bought Dinamo's captain Niko Kranjčar and former Dinamo coach and legend Miroslav Blažević. With these high profile changes Hajduk entered the season, but soon all the club's problems with its leadership showed. Hajduk finished fifth without qualifying for the European tournament the following year with the rotation of the huge number of players of dubious quality. Three coaches were hired and sacked and Igor Stimac left as sports director. Next season, the constant changing of players and coaches took its toll, Hajduk ended the year on a sour note. The club then purchased big stars such as Igor Tudor and Cernat in hopes of boosting the club, but this strategy did not work, and soon coach Ivan Pudar was fired. Two years later Hajduk was fifth in the championship.

In June 2008, Mate Peroš was elected president of Hajduk. He changed the entire professional staff, and reorganized the administration, the results were noticeable. Hajduk had its first victory against Dinamo at the Maksimir Stadium (2-0) after five and a half years and the first with more than a one goal difference in 48 years. Hajduk finished that season in second place behind Dinamo Zagreb and played in the final of the Croatian Cup.

Next season Hajduk became a joint stock company with Joško Svaguša as the new president. Ivica Kalinić came to Hajduk but resigned due to a heart attack. Edoardo Reja was to come to Hajduk, but in February he was signed by Lazio, so Hajduk signed Stanko Poklepović and finished the season in second place, once again behind Dinamo, and won the Croatian Cup in the final against Šibenik.

On 12 February 2011, Hajduk commemorated its 100th birthday with a massive celebration in Split and all of Dalmatia with both Hajduk players and fans honouring the club. The entire city was decorated with Hajduk banners, flags, posters and paraphernalia, and there was a spectacular firework show over Split.[21]

In 2012 the club fell into big financial troubles which were caused by the former Hajduk presidents. New Hajduk chairman Marin Brbić began to solve the financial troubles and in 2013 more than half of the debt has been paid and in 2014 the club should be financially stable.

When Balakov left Mišo Krstičević instantly became the manager of Hajduk after he did impressive work with the Hajduk U-19 squad. Hajduk finished again 2nd in the 2011–12 Prva HNL. Krstičević failed to secure a group place in European competitions but he started well in the 2012–13 Prva HNL. Later the team started to decline in form when they experienced increased injuries. In April 2013 Krstičević was sacked for underperforming in the league.

In April 2013 Hajduk chairman Marin Brbić appointed Igor Tudor as the new Hajduk Split manager. Hajduk won the Croatian Cup in May 2013 after defeating Lokomotiva in the final.

Hajduk's home ground is the Poljud stadium. It has 35,000 seats and is one of the two largest stadiums in Croatia. The stadium was built for the 1979 Mediterranean Games. The stadium was also a venue for the 1990 European Championships in athletics and for the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup. The stadium is affectionately known to the locals as the "Poljudska ljepotica" or "Poljud beauty". Its architect Boris Magaš, was chosen among 20 others in a 1975 competition. The largest crowd recorded was in 1980 at a match against Hamburg SV - 52,000 people. Two years later, after the stadium was fully completed its capacity was increased to 62,000 for a derby against Dinamo Zagreb.

From 1911–79. Hajduk played in a stadium called "Kod stare Plinare"; it is used today by RK Nada rugby union club. The stadium's first name was "Krajeva njiva". Since Hajduk moved to Poljud, the old ground has become known in Split as the "Stari Plac" or "Staro Hajdukovo" (Old Hajduk's place).

It also hosted a match between Yugoslavia and the Netherlands in the UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying tournament. Supporters who would later reestablish the once forbidden name of Torcida, were situated in the east stands. 3,148 games were played on it, with 9,542 goals scored, 11 championships and six cups have been won.

Panorama of the Poljud Stadium

Hajduk is by far the most popular sports team in Dalmatia. It also has a strong fan base throughout the rest of Croatia, especially in coastal areas and Slavonia.

Hajduk played its first game in a strip with red and white vertical stripes, which symbolized the Croatian coat of arms. The former Austrian City Council did not want to be seen as partisan and would not allow club colours to be made up from the emergent Croatian tricolour. The proscribed banner, which comprised the red of Croatia, blue and 'Hajduk' in white print, saw the club choose a white shirt, blue shorts and socks; a combination that symbolizes white sails on a blue sea. The colour white has become a symbol for the club, along with the nickname 'Bili'.

Its away strip consists of red and blue shirts with vertical or horizontal stripes (sometimes narrow, sometimes wide), blue shorts and socks. This is to symbolise the Croatian flag.

Although UEFA has not introduced compulsory registration of the third set of colours, it was problematic. One possibility was shirts of vertical red and white stripes, but it was not adopted due to the resemblance of other team colours such as Red Star. It was also seen as being negative.

At one time the main colours were to be a combination of navy blue, white with blue horizontal stripes; but this kit was only worn twice by goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa.

Hajduk's crest consists of the Croatian checkerboard with 25 red and white checkers bordered with a circle of blue ribbon, with two vertical lines on each side. The words Hajduk and Split are written above and below the chequy respectively. The modern crest is almost identical to the one created in 1911.

The original crest was designed by Vjekoslav Ivanisevic. It was then taken to Ana, the sister of the Kaliterna brothers who took a drawing of the crest to a convent where nuns manually created 20-30 pieces. The crest first appeared in public in 1926 during a performance of Tijardović's Opera Kraljica baluna as part of the scenery. Hajduk first wore the crest on their jerseys in 1941. In 1944, the original design was rejected in favor of the communist red star. In 1990, the original crest was returned and has been used ever since.

In 1990 when Hajduk was on tour in Australia the original crest was returned and has been used ever since.

Hajduk Split's supporters, Torcida, were formed on 28 October 1950. They took their name from the Brazilian fan group they idolized, which comes from the Portuguese 'torcer' which means 'to cheer on'. They are the oldest organized supporters' group in Europe. Supporters call the Hajduk players 'Bili', which in the local Dalmatian dialect means "the whites". "Hajduk lives forever" is the fan's slogan.

Torcida members and other fervent fans gather in the north stand at the Poljud stadium from where they support their club. The 'Heart of Hajduk' (Croatian: Hajdučko srce) is an annual football prize which was established in 1994 and is officially awarded by the Hajduk Split supporters' Torcida Split to the Hajduk player of the year, i.e. the team's best performing player during the season.

Enthusiastic fans set of flares at Poljud during the Eternal Derby match.

Today, Hajduk's biggest rivals are Dinamo Zagreb, the matches between the two teams are referred to as "Eternal derby". Matches between Hajduk and Rijeka are referred to as the Adriatic derby. Former major rivalries used to include Serbian clubs Red Star Belgrade and Partizan who along with Hajduk and Dinamo were part of the so-called Yugoslav big four, the biggest and most successful clubs in the former Yugoslavia.

Croatian teams are restricted to fielding at most six foreign players in the first eleven during the domestic league and cup matches.[22] The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player; players who also hold Croatian citizenship are specifically noted.

Hajduk's first competitive game was a 9-0 victory against Calcio Spalato. Frane Matošić holds Hajduk's overall appearance record; he played 739 matches over the course of 12 seasons from 1944 to 1956. Of the current squad, Srđan Andrić has the most appearances; he played his 164th game for the club early in 2010.

Hajduk's all-time leading scorer in all competitions is Frane Matošić, who scored 729 goals for the club from 1944 to 1956. Zlatko Vujović is Hajduk's all-time leading goalscorer in European competition with 16.[26]

Hajduk's 14-0 victory over Ilirija in 1931 was their largest league win. In Prva HNL Hajduk's largest league victory was 10-0 against Radnik in 1994, while their biggest defeat was against Varteks in 2001, 1-5. Hajduk's biggest victory in European competitions was 8-0 against GÍ Gøta in 2002, while their heaviest defeat, 0-6, came against Ajax in 1993.[26]